Zurb’s Reel Lets You Get Instant Feedback On PowerPoint Presentations

Think back to the last time you put together a PowerPoint presentation. Try not to shudder.

If you’re like me, you probably had a few moments when you wondered if the slide you were working on made sense — or if it was even worth including at all. You may have turned to a coworker to get their opinion, but they didn’t have any context about the rest of the presentation and were eager to get to lunch, so their input probably wasn’t a big help.

If this sounds familiar, then a nifty new app called Reel may be just what you need. It’s the latest app to come from interaction design firm ZURB, and it lets you get near-instant feedback on every slide or photo in your presentation.

The app is super-simple, which is sort of the point. Upload an image, PDF, or PowerPoint file, and the app will convert it into an online slideshow that’s also viewable in mobile browsers. That’s not exactly unique, but Reel has a nifty trick: it’ll let you leave a comment beneath each slide, where you can explain what you’ll be saying on stage when the slide is shown. Your friends (or Twitter followers) can then vote as to whether they like the slide using a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down, so you can quickly figure out what works, and what doesn’t. You can find an example right here.

ZURB isn’t planning to charge for the app (this seems like a good way for them to get publicity). Their past projects include Verify, an app that lets you get feedback on your site design while it’s still in mockup form.